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Isbister is a Neolithic chambered cairn situated on Orkney, approximately 450 metres east-south-east of the settlement it takes its name from. Built upon bedrock of Middle Old Red Sandstone dating to the Middle Devonian period, the monument consists of conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone geology that would have provided readily available stone for construction. The cairn represents a characteristic Orkney funerary monument of the third millennium BCE, constructed as a communal burial structure with internal stone-built chambers designed to accommodate multiple burials across successive generations. Such monuments reflect the social organisation and ritual practices of early agricultural societies in the north of Scotland.
The monument is protected by Historic Environment Scotland under scheduling reference SM2136, recognising its archaeological and cultural significance. Chambered cairns of this type are found throughout Orkney and surrounding regions, though each occupies a distinct local landscape. The Isbister cairn's position within the local topography and its relationship to the surrounding settlement pattern contributes to understanding how Neolithic communities structured their burial practices and territorial attachments in this island environment. The surviving remains provide an invaluable record of prehistoric funerary architecture and ritual custom.
Isbister, chambered cairn 450m ESE of is a scheduled monument protected by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2136. View the official record →
Isbister is a Neolithic chambered cairn situated on Orkney, approximately 450 metres east-south-east of the settlement it takes its name from. It is designated a Scheduled Ancient Monument by Historic Environment Scotland under reference SM2136.
Isbister, chambered cairn 450m ESE of dates from the neolithic period, and is classified as a chambered cairn. It is one of over 32,000 scheduled monuments protected across the UK.
Isbister, chambered cairn 450m ESE of is a Scheduled Ancient Monument, legally protected by Historic Environment Scotland — the body responsible for designating and safeguarding heritage sites in Scotland. The official designation reference is SM2136.
Several scheduled monuments lie within 10 km, including Banks, chambered cairn 25m SW of, South Ronaldsay (1.7 km), Castle of Burwick, promontory fort (3.5 km), Clouduhall (or Cloddyhall) standing stone & cairn (6.2 km).
This page is just one thread. A full Aubrey report pulls together 14 strands of Isbister, chambered cairn 450m ESE of's history, each drawn from the record and mapped to the exact spot:
Every location is different. Not every section appears for every place, only what the historical record actually holds turns up in a report.
Isbister, chambered cairn 450m ESE of stands on Middle Old Red Sandstone (Undifferentiated), bedrock that formed in the Middle Devonian. The rock here is conglomerate, sandstone, siltstone and mudstone.